What an amazing book! Mae spends her Christmas holidays with her mother and father’s college pals and their families. Mae has had a crush on Andrew since her teens, but smooches his younger brother, Theo. Mae is feeling down because her life is not where she wants it to be and Andrew caught her kissing Theo.

On the way home from the holiday trip she asks the universe to show her what happiness is. The universe puts her in a time loop a la Groundhog Day/Palm Springs. What choices will Mae make to manifest her happiness? What changes will she make to get out of the time loop?

This book left me with a big grin on my face. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read Christina Lauren’s back catalog.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall - 2.5
Steam - 2

In a Holidaze was billed as the movie Groundhog’s Day gone Christmas and I was excited for it. As I’ve mentioned before I’m a glutton for all things Christmas and holiday. So of course when I saw Christina and Lauren were putting out a holiday book I couldn’t hit the request button fast enough.

The story is about Maelyn Jones, a woman who’s life isn’t going exactly to plan. She’s just spent the last ever Christmas in her family’s cabin and she wishes that she could see what it would be like to be happy. This sets off a time loop that puts Maelyn back into the plane on the way to the cabin and starting the whole holiday over. This whole premise was catnip for me since I love the idea of getting a do-over in life. And Christin and Lauren’s writing is so enjoyable that I don’t mind the some times confusing plot structure.

But even though this book had a lot going for it, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I was getting frustrated with myself over how long (weeks) it took me to read this book. I worried I was letting 2020 get to me and that I was being unfair to the queens of modern rom-com. Did I laugh? Of course. Did a swoon a little? Sure. Did i root for Mae to get the “right” HEA? You’re darn tootin’. But did I really enjoy this book? Not really. I can find the lingering wit and joie de vivre in the way these two craft the humor in their novels. I can even appreciate their character work. But the romance? The passion? It’s gone for me.

I found Christina Lauren books when they were fresh out of the fanfic world and writing their Beautiful Bastard series. I absorbed every filthy detail they wrote and re-read many of the books because the enjoyment was so high. As the duo has started to veer away from these roots their craft has gotten better, but the stories have become boring. This isn’t an argument for open vs. closed door. There is space for it all in romance. But when an author changes styles and strays from what you expect, sometimes you can’t take that journey with them. Especially when you begin to suspect that changes are due to a lingering prejudice of the romance genre. That’s when you begin to wonder if these changes are indicative of a desire to appear “mainstream” and cast off our romance roots.

So overall I’m giving this a fairly low score, but that’s certainly not going to be the common theme in other reviews. I just wanted to offer probably one of the only dissenting opinions and take a stab at why I’m losing the love for pair of extremely talented writers. I’m hoping these two can figure out a way to bring some of their old magic back to their stories. Until they do I’m not sure I’ll be picking up another of their books.

Post live 10/7/20

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is a story of second families, second chances, and finding new ways to define yourself. The story stars with Mae, a struggling 26 year old who is living with her mom and new husband and finding herself doing more accounting than graphic design she was hired to do. The highlight of her year is the week she spends with her family and her parents college friends and their respective families in a cabin in the mountains of Utah. Mae relishes the tradition of knowing what activities they will do every year and loves that she can escape her humdrum life for the beautiful nostalgia of the cabin at Christmastime.

However, Mae makes a mistake and drunkenly kisses Theo instead of her long-time crush Andrew. Panicking that she threw away everything with her family and friends she leaves the cabin on down note. When a freak accident coincides with a wish to try to do it over again, Mae finds herself at the beginning of the week and perhaps a chance a the love she has been pining for all along.

I enjoyed spending time with Mae and the rest of her family and friends. The cozy atmosphere and comfortable friendships made me wish I could spend some time with this crew in the cabin. I liked that Mae had to work on what she wanted rather than trying to do what pleased everyone else before the crux of the romantic storyline could build steam. The supernatural element was fun and believable. All in all, this was a fun holiday romance with some good life lessons on not being afraid to admit what you want and having the courage to go after your dreams.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

Christina Lauren does it again!! I have to say at first when I heard the description I was a bit leery. However, as always the characters are so relatable and I ended up loving the "Groundhog Day" plot. The setting is also to die for and gives me the best holiday vibes. I may or may not have looked up winter cabins for my family to go to this holiday season! Absolutely loved it.

What a sweet, fun story! In a Holidaze is Christina Lauren's holiday novel that explores family bonds, lasting friendships, and starting a new relationship. It tells the story of families who have vacationed together in Park City, Utah, every Christmas for many years. Their time together is routine, with activities planned for each day, just like they've done every year for as long as they can remember. That is, until Mae's holiday resets and she has to start reliving the same days over again.

What does Mae have to do to keep moving forward in time, and not have her holiday reset?

This book is a fun escape from everyday reality, and such a cozy, feel-good story with a little bit of steamy, sexy romance thrown in. Thank you too NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

thank you gallery books for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was alright. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this story as a movie before. I really miss the older stuff these authors wrote. I feel like the characters are okay, there’s a lack of chemistry.

Groundhogs day meets Christmas in this fantastic new Christina Lauren book. This story gave me all the feels of a Hallmark Christmas movie with a bit of added steam. Heartwarming, hilarious and oh so romantic, I ate this book up! I loved the unique found family aspect and the romance was A+ !! I highly recommend picking this one up. It will absolutely put you in the Christmas spirit.

This was definitely not my favorite CLo book, but I think it was mostly the fact that I am not a fan of books or movies where they re-live the same day or week over and over again until they break the loop.

Who doesn't want a chance for a do over? What a fun holiday read. The family holiday sounds like fun with crazy shenanigans. What mistakes Mae makes but gets a do over. This story had me smiling. I liked the story line, the characters were fun and the ending was fabulous. I enjoyed this lighthearted book.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley to review. Ever since reading the Unhoneymooners, I have been a fan of Christina Lauren. This was such a cute festive book. Christina Lauren's writing style makes me smile.

Maelyn Jones is part of a group of relatives and friends who gather in a cabin for Christmas every year since before she was born. This gathering is full of traditions and holiday memories, which I just love. This group also includes her childhood best friend Theo and his older brother Andrew, who she has been in love with since she was 13 years old. She doesn't think he feels that way about her, so she never tells him how she feels.

After getting tipsy and making out with Theo (while unknowingly being caught by Andrew who casually brings it up to her the next day) and then with news that Theo and Andrews parents are selling the cabin because it needs so many repairs. Maelyn finds herself in a place of true unhappiness. On the way home on Dec. 26th, she makes a wish for the universe to show her what would make her happy....Then a truck hits them and she wakes up on Dec. 20th again.

Quote from book:
What if you could look up and ask the universe “what would happiness look like?”
Would you be prepared for what it reveals to you?

Traveling through time a few times after falling down the steps and being hit by a falling tree, she is trapped in time, waking up on the airplane when she freaks out and smacks her brother in the face.

Quote from book:
I was coming out here to ask why you were acting so weird but I see I need to keep things present tense.

She finally figures out what she needs to do to not only make herself happy, but bring out the happiness of those she loves. I really enjoyed the ending. The interaction between Andrew and Maelyn and then Benny and Maelyn were great. The supporting characters were fantastic. This is a feel good Christmas book with humor, romance, and time travel.

#netgalley
#inaholidaze

I think this book will find wide readership at my library, so we will be purchasing a couple copies. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it early.

Christina Lauren have done it again! This book is the perfect holiday read by being light and easy to get through while providing your typical holiday drama. Don’t just buy this book PREORDER IT!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC copy!

Man, this is hard because I love holiday books and I LOVE Christina Lauren, but I did not like the gitch of the Groundhog's Day experience. I didn't really end up connecting with the characters like I usually do because there was so much going on that didn't feel necessary or interesting. My favorite parts were the top of the roller coaster feelings with Andrew in the closet - his thoughts and dialogue felt so real and so intriguing. I never felt like Theo was interested in Mae, I never felt like there was as much closeness as portrayed. The rest of the characters were just one dimensional. Andrew though. Loved Andrew.
I also did not like the six month follow-up. It was so rushed, it just didn't need to be there.

I received a free digital advance review copy of this book from Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a light breezy fast read that would be good for someone looking for a story with seasonal themes during the busy holiday season. All of the characters' relationships to each other were not clear to me from the start, which made it a bit hard to get into the book. The author use of one character "introducing" everyone to the main character when she has her first Groundhog Day experience was effective, but I would have appreciated that grounding earlier in the story - a family tree illustrating everyone's relationships would have helped. The Groundhog Day plot device, with the main character returning multiple times to re-live a holiday gathering, illustrates how different actions and being mindful about the words and choices we make relating to people we care for can bring about drastically different outcomes. In this way, the far-fetched plot device has more resonance in "real life" than it may first appear.

“We are the same kind of idiot.”


Maelyn Jones spends every Christmas in her favorite place in the world: the cabin in Park City, UT. She has been coming to this cabin since she was born, and her parents have been coming even longer. The cabin is filled with her parents’ group of closest friends and their children, Mae’s chosen family.

This year, Mae makes the drunken mistake of kissing one of her oldest friends, Theo. It wouldn’t be the biggest deal if Mae weren’t in love with Andrew, Theo’s older brother. Full of regret, Mae makes a wish for the universe to show her how to be happy which sends her back to day one of this year’s holiday vacation. Now Mae is stuck in a never-ending loop trying to make everything right.


Okay, this book was TOO MUCH in the best way possible. First, the characters were perfect. They made the ultimate chosen family full of so many different types of people and personalities. It made me want to be there celebrating the holidays with them. Everyone needs a Benny in their life!

Second, I loved Mae’s development throughout the story. She was able to discover that change can be good and that being happy is so much more than just about herself.

The holiday spirit in this book was everything. I also caught myself being super tense throughout a lot of this book wondering if Mae was going to be sent back in time again and what would happen next.

Honestly, I’m just so overcome with emotion over this book. This would make the ultimate holiday family/romance movie. I’m looking at you, Netflix 😉

In a Holidaze (Christina Lauren)

I wasn’t sure what I’d think of a Groundhog Day storyline but honestly it was just the read I needed in my life when the rest of life is crazy (hello, 2020).

Maelyn and her family have spent Christmas together with her parents best friends for college for Maelyn’s entire life, and she’s had a crush on Andrew just about the entire time. When Maelyn’s Christmas with Andrew and his brother Theo didn’t go as planned, she leaves the cabin wishing for a redo. Lucky for her, she will get another chance!

Thanks @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

#netgalley #holidaze #christmasnovel #bookreview

With a fresh premise and a winning cast of characters, this is not your average romcom. Reminiscent of Ground Hog Day, Maelyn Jones asks the Universe to show her what will make her happy. Rather than the annual week at Christmas in a Utah cabin with Mae's family and two others, Mae finds herself reliving the first day or so of this year's Christmas vacation. Each day happens a little differently as Mae works to understand what the Universe is trying to tell her.

The cabin in Utah is the one place that's home for Maelyn. Her parents are divorced (but each still makes the trip to the cabin at Christmas), and now that she's an adult, Mae's life looks nothing like she expected it to and completely underwhelming. But the cabin hasn’t changed, the people are the same, and there's comfort in the familiar. Except this year, the Hollises, who own the cabin, announce they’re planning to sell. And Mae has an unrequited crush on Andrew Hollis she may never have the chance to explore.

Through Mae's journey, Lauren has the reader pondering what happiness looks like. It’s not in the perfect job, the perfect house, or the perfect standing in life. Rather, it’s in a family made of love and shared history and those we hold close in our hearts. It’s in a crackling fire, snowball fights, the tradition of Christmas cookies hard enough to damage teeth, and the small moments that can pass in the blink of an eye if we don’t intentionally preserve them in our hearts.

While there are laughs aplenty and a little steam, this book will remind you what really matters and have you believing in Christmas magic. Open your heart and let this story full of family, love and Christmas traditions fill your soul. Who knows? It may inspire some new traditions of your own, but one thing is sure. As you follow Mae on her journey to find happiness, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the things in this world that matter the most.

If you were given the chance for a do over would you take it? Christmas is the time of year for family traditions and the making of family memories. This Christmas, Maelyn Jones is in for a Christmas she wishes she could forget.

She has spent every Christmas with her family and two other families in a beautiful cabin in Salt Lake City, Utah. On Christmas night, the day before they are scheduled to leave, Maelyn makes a romantic faux pas that she knows she regrets and that could change everything. As she awakes on December 26th, things just seem to go from bad to worse. While getting ready to depart for the airport with her parents and her brother, and reflecting back on what has occurred in her life the past year, that she hates her job, doesn’t have the life she wants to enjoy, that her one true love has slipped through her fingers, and that she has had to move back in with her parents, she receives one final blow. Right before all the families depart, this will be the last Christmas that they will have spent together at the cabin she loves in Utah.

On her way to the airport Maelyn closes her eyes and makes a silent plea: “Universe. What am I doing with my life? Please I want........So I ask the universe, simply: Can you show me what will make me happy?”

Maelyn looks up and sees a Christmas wreath with a bow, a blaring horn and a car hurling her way. When she comes to, she is back on an airplane heading back to Salt Lake City, Utah and It is December 20th starting her Christmas vacation all over again. Now, she must figure out how to keep from repeating her romantic mistakes, figure out what things are important, and is it the traditions that really matter. Will she have her chance again for that one true love?

Reminiscent of Groundhog Day and even favorite Christmas movies such as Love The Coopers, The Family Stone, and Bridget Jones, this was a romantic comedy that had me laughing out loud and turning the pages non-stop. The family relationships they have and what they developed over the past 30 years remind you of what this world today needs more of and makes you think about what is important in our own life. The writing and descriptions even made you feel like you were right there spending Christmas with them and experiencing their traditions. And maybe, just give you a few new ideas. This is the first book that I have read by Christina Lauren, and I am now a fan. I will be adding additional titles to my reading list.

Thank you, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for this honest review. #InAHolidaze #NetGalley

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Mae and her family have always celebrated the Christmas holiday with her parents' college friends. Each year, she eagerly awaited returning to the cabin, the traditions, to Andrew. This year, however, was to be the last as Andrew's parents would be selling the cabin. Mae was not a fan of the bad news, and she went into a sadness spiral, begging the universe to help her find her happy. The universe complied, sort of, by making her relive that last week at the cabin until she was able to find her happy on her own.

This book was fun! I have always said that Christina Lauren bring the funny, and once again, they had me in stitches. Be it character quirks or general shenanigans, I could be seen smiling, giggling, or out right laughing at some point during the story.

And, what's a holiday without tradition? And, wow! This clan had so many wonderful traditions too. I couldn't wait for each days' activity to be revealed. There were definitely points in this story, where I wished I could be adopted or marry into one of the families, because I so wanted to be part of the party. Board games, sledding, snow sculptures, scavenger hunts -- the list went on and on, and I wanted to be partake in all this merriment.

These authors have such a knack of assembling fantastic groups of people. I already mentioned that I wanted to become part of this "family", but it wasn't just for the Park City vacation. This group had stuck together for so long. Through good times and bad times and even physical separation, they kept their family ties tied tight. The love and the kinship could be felt throughout the story, and it's just beautiful to be able to have so many people in one's life.

There was more than just laughs and festivities in this story too. I was fully onboard with some of the other themes. This was really Mae's story. After getting a look into her life, we knew she was not satisfied, but she also was not a big fan of change. This fear of the unknown kept her in a job she hated and from more satisfying relationships. But while in the time loop, she thought, why not! She felt it was a safe place to take some chances and really be true to herself. And so, she did.

That brings me to the romance, which was a sweet friends-to-more romance. Mae had been pining away for Andrew for over a decade, but she never let him know. Like I said, she feared change, and how could she risk a lifelong friendship? It was great seeing her take that chance, and these two were amazing together. They had so much history and just really knew each other. People who know me know I live for this type of romance, and CLo filled every crevice of my heart with this one.

In a Holidaze had everything that I look for in a holiday themed story! Fun, family, and festivities filled these pages, and I was left with a few new laugh lines and a full heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This book was a lot of fun! Can we all have an Uncle Benny?

This story is more than a fun Christmas rom com, it's about finding yourself and what makes you happy. Mae learned to be herself and go after what she wanted (which is always a good message to be reminded of).

And let's be honest, long time friends to lovers will forever be one of my favorite tropes.

Save it for Christmas or read it when it comes out, either way you won't be disappointed!